Dene Mullen
Dene is The Grocer's features editor.
Contact info
- Tel:
- 01293 610458
- Email:
- dene.mullen@thegrocer.co.uk
Grocer 33Waitrose edges out M&S to offer best store experience
Waitrose had tempting counters manned by ‘highly knowledgeable’ staff
Analysis & FeaturesWhat’s fuelling the rise of Asian supermarkets in the UK?
Demand for Asian cuisine in the UK seems to know no bounds. Retailers including Oseyo and Longdan are embarking on ambitious expansion plans
Grocer 33High Grocer 33 scores for giant Tesco and small Waitrose stores
Winner Tesco Dundee had ‘very high standards’, our mystery shopper reported
Analysis & FeaturesHow food & drink brands come together with music festivals
UK music festivals now offer a host of high-end food and drink options and imaginative activations. So how are the most successful partnerships conceived and executed?
Grocer 33Large Tesco in Chesterfield offers our shopper ‘everything you need’
Our mystery shopper was impressed with the staff at Tesco Chesterfield
NewsMedia Bites 10 April: Trump’s tariff turnaround, hiring scaled back and Unilever salary backlash
Rachel Reeves is not backing calls for the UK government to launch a “buy British” campaign in response to tariffs
Grocer 33Tesco Tidworth comes out on top despite modest size
Our mystery shopper enjoyed the ‘sunny, upbeat tone’ in Tesco Tidworth
InterviewsTom Molnar’s simple mantra at Gail’s: doing bread better
From skateboards to sourdough, Gail’s CEO Tom Molnar talks expansion, gentrification and the future potential of his upmarket bakery chain
Grocer 33Sainsbury’s in Bourne wins store of the week as Waitrose food hall comes up short
Sainsbury’s in Bourne, Lincolnshire, squeaked to victory by a solitary point this week
NewsFrozen cooking paste innovator Ice Kitchen launches in Sainsbury’s
Ice Kitchen offers clean-label curry pastes for those without time to pound ingredients themselves
InterviewsRenée Elliott’s story of Planet Organic’s ‘miracle’ turnaround
Planet Organic founder Renée Elliott says her return to rescue the business is ‘the hardest I’ve ever worked’. So how has she got it back on track? And what’s needed to complete the ‘fairy tale’?
Grocer 33Displays and availability help Morrisons York to Grocer 33 win
With a score of 80 points, the store was Morrisons’ first Grocer 33 win since mid-October
Analysis & FeaturesHow crowdfunders are falling out of love with fmcg startups
With conventional finance increasingly hard to come by, food and drink challenger brands are more reliant than ever on crowdfunding. Are they abusing the relationship?
Grocer 33Waitrose’s smaller Bagshot store sees off larger Grocer 33 rivals
Our shopper sang the praises of the ‘bright and spacious’ store, which had plenty of staff around – ‘almost in every aisle’
NewsShoppers back staffed 'chatty checkouts' in new survey
A till where staff are encouraged to converse with customers proved popular in the Belonging Forum survey
Grocer 33A ‘positive spring vibe’ at winning Sainsbury’s Wrexham store
Our shopper enjoyed the ‘vibe’ at the store and noted all staff were friendly
NewsMedia Bites 6 March: illegal gold mining hits chocolate, trade wars, postmaster pay
Illegal gold mining is ravaging farmers’ land in Ghana and hitting chocolate prices in the UK and beyond
Grocer 33Small Waitrose store proves ‘just right’ for our mystery shopper
Despite its relatively small size, the Waitrose store had good availability
Analysis & FeaturesThe rise of food clubs and how they differ from food banks
Food clubs differ from food banks in that shoppers pay for goods – so they don’t face the ‘shame’ of accepting charity. But those aren’t the only benefits
Grocer 33Waitrose on top as online 33 retailers score highly
High scores were the order of the day for most retailers in this online Grocer 33